Superman Returns :Motu Corporum
by Metropolis-Rising
Summary: A series of events after the movie dealing with the principle players and their lives after the movie.SPOILERS FOR SUPERMAN RETURNS. Chlark shipping, Superman Returns style.
1. Chapter 1

Superman Returns: Motu Corporum

Disclaimer: Superman Returns property of WB and Legendary Pictures. All other characters property of their owners(WB) and I don't own anything. Except the games I play with their hearts and I made up a reporter bar, but that's it..

Summary: A series of events after the movie dealing with the principle players and their lives after the movie.

A/N: SPOILERS FOR SUPERMAN RETURNS. CROSS-CANNON(sort of) SHIPPING EVENTUALLY AS WELL. This is based off of the spirit of a "loose" history that Superman Returns relied on. You've been warned to the best of my ability. :) Fans of "Earthbound" shouldn't fret as I am currently resuming work on that, I just had to get this out. A/N#2 Follows final chapter.

_three months after the events of Superman Returns..._

It was coming up on 11:30 of a balmy July night when Clark landed on the roof of the Daily Planet. He'd done a fast scan of the building and found only a few lonely souls inside, none close enough to the roof to make him worry about slipping into the stairwell before changing from "Superman" to "Metropolis Clark".

He'd found himself thinking that he really had two alter egos these days: The all powerful iconic Superman, and the bumbling shy Clark Kent. When he was in Smallville with Lana and Pete or with his...son...he allowed himself to be himself. The _real _Clark Kent, if you will. Clark Kent who loved Chess and Go. Loved playing fetch with Shelby in Metropolis park (Ma had insisted that he take the dog- she'd felt that Clark was too lonely in the city). Enjoyed going for a morning run around the Met U. Gardens, and loved teaching his son all the constellations in the sky when he got to babysit Jason.

Jason. In the three short months that he'd known about his and Lois' son, Clark had been overpowered daily at the fierce bright joy that seeing the little boy brought him. While Jason didn't know that Clark was his biological father, the little five year old was very fond of Superman. As well as Clark, since about a week after Clark got out of the hospital, Jason had asked Clark why everybody was fooled by his glasses. Clark had been shocked, then couldn't help laughing so hard that tears ran down his cheeks at the boy's disdain for how the world seemed to just be blind to the secret.

He'd had a long talk with Jason over a big bowl of Tofutti ( Lois insisted that the boy was allergic to dairy, but Clark had his suspicions when he saw Jimmy slip the little boy a milkshake to no adverse effect ) about how important it was keeping the secret, well, secret. Jason had gotten as serious as a five year old on the cusp of six could be, and swore to Clark that he'd never tell anyone. Not even Mommy and Daddy. Clark had been unable to help taking Jason for a flight around the city when his son had made such a solemn promise.

Now, as it came up late in the evening, Clark wanted to finish his article on Superman's big fight with Metallo amid the reconstruction crews this morning and take his dog for a walk ( Ma had, of course, been right about Shelby being great company). Coming from the stairwell into the Planet's main press area Clark realized that he wasn't the only one on the floor.

Clark could see Richard White, alone in his office, staring out the window. Clark didn't know how to handle Richard these days. Most of the problem stemmed from the fact that he liked Richard. How do you deal with the fiancée of the mother of your child? Especially when you respect his journalism and his ethics in general? While Clark had laid off of the x-ray check ups at Riverside drive, he knew that Richard was everything that he wanted to be for Lois and Jason. How can you be hate a man like Richard and be honest with yourself? Clark always came up with the same painful answer.

You can't, of course.

"Richard?" Clark had shifted easily into his timid persona while knocking on the door frame of Richard's office. "Uh, say, you're here awfully late. Can I help you with something?"

Richard looked back at Clark from his view of Metropolis. The man had a look in his eyes, and Clark couldn't place it. On Richard's desk, Clark noted the presence of an unopened bottle of Oban and a heavy tumbler.

"Hey Clark, come on in."

Clark pulled up a chair and wondered what had happened. He could have never seen what was coming next.

Richard, still looking out on night upon Metropolis, sighed. "What would you do if you were raising another man's child?"

Clark almost fell out of his chair.

"Honestly Clark. Could you do it?"

The stammering non-reply that came from Clark was largely unfeigned.

"It's not like i didn't know that Jason wasn't _mine_," Richard said sadly, "I'm not a fool. I can do math and even though Lois was showing slightly when we started seeing each other, I knew that I loved her. I thought my heart would burst the day Jason was born."

"Holding him in my arms...I couldn't believe how perfect he was. I knew that I'd do anything to protect Lois and Jason, even if it meant my life." Richard took another deep breath and clenched his hand.

"Lois and I never talked about his biological father. I didn't know him, didn't care- especially not after Jason was born. All I knew was that I would be his Dad and never looked back."

Clark shifted uncomfortably. There wasn't anything to be said, not yet.

"Then Superman came back. Clark, I've watched Lois be distant and moody in the the last three months and I finally figured out why."

"Oh?" Clark asked. Gods, he wished he could be anywhere else!

"Jason's father is back."

Clark gulped, seeming trapped in this timid persona. His mind was racing as to why this was happening. What did Richard mean that Lois had been distant? He dare not hope...

Richard sighed, "I had some minor suspicions as to Lois' relationship with him right after he returned, but nothing concrete until this morning."

Clark continued to let Richard unburden himself with a compassionate silence.

"Ever since Jason was on Luthor's boat, he's been getting..._healthier._ At first I was simply glad to see him lose the inhaler, despite Lois protesting it. A month back I took Jason in for a full check up when he snuck some of my burger at lunch one day and was fine."

Clark remembered well. Jason had lamented that "Daddy" had taken him to the doctor for the "pokey tests". Clark had tried to think of a good explanation for why allergen tests were so arduous, but Jason had beaten him to the punch, expressing that "Anything that meant he could stop worrying Mommy was good."

"Lois said that nothing strange had happened, outside of the thugs of course, but she failed to mention anything really bizarre. This morning I took Jason to the park and we started playing soccer. God Clark! He was so happy to be out and running around, no restrictions, no wheezing cough!"

Clark smiled at the image. Jason had been much better lately and Clark could only hope that his Kryptonian heritage was starting to be a benefit to the little boy. The wheels spun in Clark's mind about what could have caused the change though. Had Jason's exposure to Kryptonite somehow caused his alien half to activate? A kind of reboot?

Richard sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"Clark...my son...Jason..._he__blurred away from me this morning._"

Clark snapped the antique fountain pen he'd been fidgeting with.

"We were running and suddenly Jason was across the field from me. Thank god we were alone, I don't know how I'd have explained it. He started zipping back and forth Clark! Blurring at the edges! I took me a full minute before I managed to get in his way and he stopped. He didn't even notice! He just said that he wanted to go faster and he suddenly was!"

Richard's voice cracked and Clark could see the man's shoulders shaking.

"Oh god...I'm going to lose them...Clark...what can I do? What can anyone do?"

Clark realized that this was cruel. He had never meant for this to happen. Richard White was a good man and deserved something, anything, that would relieve his pain and fear of something that would never happen.

This needs to stop, Clark thought to himself. Richard had slumped against the window in despair now and Clark realized that he was terrified of how Richard would react over the next few minutes.

Clark loosened his tie and dropped the top button of his shirt. As he reached for his glasses he could feel "Metropolis Clark" sloughing off and the real Clark Kent emerging.

"You know Richard, I was adopted," Clark started casually, his voice finding the middle ground between geek and icon. "My parents found me and raised me with all the love in the world,"

Richard White felt physically weak as he turned at the sound of Clark's true voice.

"I asked my Dad about the very same question you're wrestling with," Clark continued warmly, feeling more and more at ease as the conversation marched on. "He said that blood can be strong, but love, real love between families, is stronger than any biological ties."

Richard looked Clark Kent in the face, seeing the reporter as if for the first time. It wasn't the face of a titan, it wasn't the face of a stumbling mild mannered reporter, but somehow it shared the same features as the other two.

Clark saw light flickering in Richard's eyes and continued on boldly. "I can tell you this Richard. This thing that you're afraid of? Put it away. No man will ever come between you and your family, not as long as I have anything to say about it." Clark took a deep breath. He hadn't revealed himself to anyone in a decade and as terrified as he was, he also felt weight lifting from his heart. "I can only hope that you'll allow me to be part of the family someday."

Clark stuck his hand out to Richard, searching Richard's face for any sign that he understood everything that Clark was offering.

Richard looked at Clark's outstretched hand and snorted in disbelief.

A moment passed and suddenly Clark found himself on the end of a handshake.

"I don't know about Superman, but I know that Clark Kent is a good person," Richard said with a hint of a smile playing at his mouth. "Can I offer you some scotch, Clark?"

_(1/5)_  



	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer in first chapter

_five months after the events of Superman Returns..._

Lois Lane ran through her article on the waning influence of Intergang in the nearly re-built Metropolis for the third time before allowing her emotions to boil over. Again.

Her life had been so screwed up lately. Her, er, Richard was always grinning like a Cheshire cat lately. It was even worse that Clark Kent and he had become some good friends. Not that she didn't want Richard to have guy friends, but honestly. Clark Kent? She couldn't see it. Clark was sweet but he and Richard were like flip sides of a coin!

Lois sent her article to Perry, deciding that if tried to proof it again she would scream . She looked at the pictures of her family on her desk with a smile on her face before laughter burst in to her reverie.

Laughter from Richards office.

Creeping around the cubicles Lois spied the image that had come to give her a sense of disquiet lately.

Richard, Jason, and Clark watching cartoons. The three of them watched old looney toons together religiously. Jason had started to incorporate Marvin the Martian battling Superman into his coloring pad. More often than not, Jason would alternate where he chose to sit, his choices of laps growing and waning depending on who would join the boys, but he always seemed to favor either Richard or Clark. Perry would sometimes step into the office, trying to pretend that he was stern and inevitably falling into the couch with his own share of popcorn. Cat Grant had made an appearance more than a few times, somehow toning down her natural bombshell tendencies to giggle with Jason. Lois had been invited of course, but this new "Clark" thing in her life just confused her.

Right after he'd returned Clark had been putty in her hands. Always there: nice and quiet, quiet and nice. He'd gotten a little stand offish a few months back but Lois had chalked that up to a nervous crush. Then he and Richard had become friends.

Clark had still bumbled around the office, but it was different now. Lois hadn't been able to pin it down exactly, but it was more, more...

more confident.

How can someone trip _and _be suave?

Lois Lane had no idea, but plenty of female interns had started being around the bull pen **way **more when Clark Kent found his mojo.

Lois hated it.

For some reason, she felt like Clark was hers somehow. From the first day he'd showed up at the Daily Planet he'd followed Lois around like a little lamb. After he'd come back he'd been the twenty four hour on call baby sitter for Jason.

God, she could sound like such a bitch sometimes.

Richard had shrugged at Lois' inquiries into Clark's personal life. He'd said that Clark had lots of layers and it was up to Kent to reveal himself to Lois.

She'd almost made Richard sleep on the couch that night.

And Superman, oh god, he'd been way too enigmatic lately. Kal-El had been over very rarely for more than a few minutes at a time as of late and Lois was beginning to wonder what exactly was going on. He'd been so happy to find out about Jason, despite Lois being unable to tell either of the men in her life how she felt. Kal-El had just smiled in a mysterious way when she asked him about what he'd been up to. "I've been so busy, but I'm always around Lois." Then he'd smile and fly away.

Stupid alien.

Why did she feel like he'd been trying to tell her something? Was he not interested in her anymore? Did he still love Jason? What was she missing?

At the center of it all was Jason. Her little angel. He had been remarkably carefree as of late, what with his allergies disappearing faster than amazonian rain forest. She'd had a conversation about his burst of strength on the _Gertrude_ but Jason had shrugged off Lois' questions while asking for crayons. She could already see that his sense of misdirection that he must have gotten from his _father_ was kicking in.

She supposed that she didn't care, as long as he was okay. Richard hadn't mentioned anything odd about Jason, even though she'd been sure something would have come up by now. He had seemed distracted a few weeks back, but that had passed after striking up a friendship with Clark.

Laughter cut into her thought process again.

Stamping her foot in a fit of child like pique, Lois grabbed her still forbidden pack of cigarettes and headed for the roof.

Damn, she missed her cousin.

Clark had seen Lois sneaking around, peering into Richard's office as they watched cartoons with Jason. He and Richard had seen how Lois had been becoming more and more frustrated with "the boys" as they'd come to think of themselves as, but Richard had suggested that they let Lois go for a bit. Not too long, of course, but long enough so that when the inevitable fall out had to happen, the menfolk could batten down the hatches against Hurricane Lois.

As Lois stomped off towards the roof fumbling with her cigarettes, Clark decided that the time had come to initiate the first part of revealing himself to Lois. He knew that there was a chance that it would all come out now, but he needed to take the chance.

Clark had found a measure of peace since becoming friends with Richard. They had spoken lightly of Clark's deep affection for Lois and especially Jason, but Clark had realized that moment had passed. Richard was a great person and becoming a good friend and Clark saw that because he loved Lois so much, that Clark needed to let her go. Freeing in a way, it had given Clark a veneer of smoothness in his bumbling persona. Richard had teased Clark about going for "geek chic" when they'd played pool one night at Ink, Clark had decided to run with it. Not that he wanted to date anyone, but his life was far too lonely. He had realized that being so far removed from people could be a detriment to his ability to fit in and enjoy being "Metropolis Clark" at all, so he'd opted to be that much more comfortable in his persona. Clark decided that to be happy he needed more people in his life who knew about him. It had never been a question of telling the woman that he loved who he was, but it was a big step. Now that Clark had changed where Lois lived in his heart, he realized that it was more important that she knew the truth. A woman you loved should know the truth at some point...the woman who bore your child couldn't not know as soon as possible.

Richard and Clark had talked it over, which had been one of the most surreal things Clark had ever done, and the two had come up with a two step plan that would let Lois down a bit more gently as to the fact that the "Guardian of Metropolis" was, in fact, Clark Kent.

Few can imagine how strange it is to plan an exit strategy into real life with your former girlfriend's fiancee.

In another time and place, Lois and Clark had been brought together over a suite in Niagara Falls. In this particular reality, it had never been. Their love had been short lived, he confiding in her all of his Kryptonian heritage while desperately wanting to reveal his Earth heritage. One moment had spiraled out of their control and they had given in to their mutual attraction.

Roughly five years and ten months ago, Superman had been in a massive battle with Maxwell Jensen a.k.a "The Parasite" for the first time and Jensen had managed to drain Clark of his powers. When Jensen had run off at his unexpected victory Lois had swooped in to save Superman from being discovered powerless.

He'd been half delirious, having bouts of cold shakes, the reaction the the energy leech's attack. She had tried everything to warm him but it had finally come down to body heat...and they'd been unable to resist themselves. After a night of unexpected tenderness for both parties, Clark's powers had returned in full and he'd had to leave to finish what had been started by the Parasite.

Clark still remembered the way Lois had breathlessly pleaded _"Kal-El" _in the throes of passion and bitterly regretted that when the two had tried to reconnect hours later, the moment had passed, transformed into fear and uncertainty about a possible relationship. Days later, scientists had found the remains of Krypton and Clark had made the choice that had changed everything.

Now, in the present, Clark and Richard made eye contact at Lois' poorly disguised confusion. As the woman in their lives made for the roof of the Daily Planet on this cool fall evening, the fathers of Jason Lane simultaneously and silently agreed that now was the time.

Gently moving the laughing six year old from his lap, Clark left Richard and Jason to the cartoons and decided it was time to get into his _other_ work clothes. Jason, who had become accustomed to Clark's departures as he'd been the first to see Clark for who he was, simply gave Clark a quick hug so Superman could go and do what he needed to do.

Even with the task at hand making Clark nervous, his son's accepting touch bolstered his resolve. The sooner the truth was out, the sooner this family could be whole- even if he couldn't be a part of it.

Lois stood on the roof of the Planet, cigarette in hand, yet still unlit. She wished that she had some days off and that she could take Jason out to Vermont. The crisp Autumn weather she remembered from her own childhood visits to her grandparents home was missed here in the big city. Feeling the cool air caress her, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine standing in the middle of the woods, the sounds of falling leaves whispering in her mind.

As lost as she was in her own mind, Lois still felt the air change behind her and she knew that she was no longer alone on the roof. Girding her heart for the inevitable flow of confusion and warmth at his presence Lois turned to see her savior, her guardian, and her devil.

Kal-El.

She'd come to call him that in her mind as of late. Addressing him as Superman seemed like calling a cop you were married to "officer" all the time. Superman was his title to her now, not his only name.

He stood there, basked in the last few rays of sunshine, looking as strong and honest as ever. He really was a force of nature. She liked to think though, that if he'd never been the superhero before her, that she would have fallen for him anyways. That she would have seen him on the street, or a bookstore, or at coffee, doing anything that millions of regular people do, and that she would have felt her heart gravitate towards him.

Lois pulled herself from daydreaming. After how she'd felt lately she wasn't going to be the one who broke the silence. He'd found her, he needed to start.

"How have you been Lois?"

Hmm. That's how it was going to be? "Oh you know, raising a kid, working at a paper. Same old thing." Ouch, she was going to have to do better than that if she didn't want the boy scout too see right through her.

She watched his eyebrow raise and a shadow of a smile play at his mouth. Again with this amusement? Why? What was so funny about her that he couldn't just play it straight?

"And Jason? Has he been having fun at school?"

"Oh please," god this man could be infuriating, "Like you don't know how he's doing. I appreciate the attempt at small talk _Kal-El_, but we both know that this isn't a normal situation. You don't have to play games with me."

At the word normal, Lois saw his eyes take on a brief flash of something. Here and gone so quickly that she wasn't sure as to what it was, but she regretted using the "normal" word. Just because they were unique, didn't mean she had to throw it at him.

Recovering quickly, he smiled. "actually, he and Richard seem to be having a great time right now. He's a good man Lois."

This was different. Since when did she talk about Richard with him?

"Kal...what is going on? You can't possibly be here to talk about my lov- my life." Alarm sirens were flashing wildly in her mind.

"Actually..." Superman walked away from her. She saw him tense briefly and watched as he breathed in the air, the fading sunset silhouetting him. "Lois, why haven't you gotten married?"

Lois reached out for the nearest handhold, her stomach lurching unpleasantly. This was it, he was leaving her again.

Clearing her throat nervously Lois found her mouth talking without her consent. "Well...I don't know. I love him, Kal. Jason loves him as well. But still...it's complicated."

Kal-El turned. She saw his silent accusation and hated him a little for it.

"Listen," Lois felt her temperature rising, "Who the hell do you think you are? You don't get to pass judgment on my life Mister, no matter how many people you save!"

She watched as the hero in front of her relented, raising his hands in a surrender.

"Lois! Please, don't misunderstand," once again, complicated emotions flowed across his flawless features and her heart beat faster, "I just meant that you've been with Richard for a long time if I'm right. He's been there for you, more that I ever was, ever could be with the way things were. I just think that if you love him...no matter how you feel otherwise, you should be with him." Kal-El finished quietly, and Lois could see pain wash his face briefly, but she could see that he wasn't finished.

"Lois, I will always love you. I realize that now, more than I have ever before. But our moment...it passed. As painful as that is to admit, our consolation, no, our good fortune, is that Jason is around today because we tried to seize our moment. No matter what happens, wherever we may end up, our son will always be something that we have to bond us," Lois felt tears brimming in her eyes, made worse that she could see them in his eyes as well. No one should hurt him like this, least of all her.

"But the truth is, Jason has a father. And you have a man that loves you more than anything other than his son. You should let yourself be free and be with them. I know that it's what I want for Jason."

Lois wiped her eyes, totally stunned at this evenings events.

Clark felt tears welling up as he emptied his heart to Lois. He reflected on the fact that even if you know you can't be with someone, you don't love them any less. He remembered walking away from Lana at the end of his senior year, going out into the world to discover his place and hating that he'd had to leave her as well. He refused to give in to self pity though. The short time that he and Lois had together made him realize that someone was out there, and more important than that, he had a son to care for now.

After his impassioned argument to Lois, Clark could see that his words had not fallen on deaf ears. The light in her eyes changed as Lois wiped the tears from her eyes and stepped towards him.

With infinite care, Lois Lane reached up and wiped the tears from his eyes and then gently kissed him. Even as the heat flushed through his body at Lois' touch, Clark recognized a good bye kiss. He returned the soft emotion as he could sense that between the two of them, this kiss was equal to days worth of conversation and emotion. In this world, right now, the stolen moment was how Lois Lane and Kal-El closed the book on the romantic portion of their relationship.

A moment passed and Clark stepped away from Lois, his heart soaring and plummeting in the same motion. He had done it, he had set her free. Clark had never thought that he'd be strong enough but they had taken the first step towards the future.

Masks of necessity back in place, the former couple looked at each other, new respect in their eyes.

"So...Would you like me to bring Jason up to the roof? You and he could talk..."

Clark smiled at Lois. She was so strong...he was glad that she could still be in his life.

"I appreciate that, but he and Richard are having fun. On top of that, I see him more than you think I do Lois."

For some reason, past the years of delusion and ignoring that powerful acting in front of her, Lois Lane finally heard what Superman wasn't saying to her.

_He and Richard...more than you think..._

Kal-El had failed to mention Clark at all. In fact, Lois' mind raced through all the times, all the excuses, all the hints. The realization of what hadn't been said for years now washed over her like a wave now that she was viewing him with a heart unburdened.

And the knowledge didn't surprise her. It didn't make her mad, or shocked, or a million other responses that many would have expected from Lois Lane. She found herself curiously happy. Proud of the fact that the two men she'd always had a strange attachment to had worked with her and given her such a personal look into his mind as he revealed that there had only ever been the one.

Suddenly, Superman's eyes took on a faraway look that she recognized.

"Time to go," Lois said with a little sadness.

Her hero looked at her, understanding at her pain. "Unfortunately. Something in Toronto...police band is pretty busy but it sounds like some kind of giant robot."

"Are you giving me a scoop?" Lois grinned at her...friend. Yes, friend was perfect.

"Not that you need it Lois, but I suppose if it turns into something bigger you would have a scoop on your hands."

She waved at him, one half goodbye, the other half joking dismissal. "Go on then, go save the world from science gone bad."

He grinned at her, a smile that she'd never seen on him before. It was easy and less shrouded than he'd ever been before.

As Superman turned and began to float away Lois couldn't help herself.

"Cl-Kal...be careful."

As he stared into her eyes, a surprised, then knowing look pierced Lois to the depths of her soul.

A wry grin on his face, Clark Kent started to fly away from her. Before he was too far though, Lois heard him say, "About time."

She heard the smile in his voice even after he was long gone.

_(2/5)_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer in first chapter

_eight months after the events of Superman Returns..._

Jason Lane and his Dad were up on the roof of the Daily Planet drinking hot chocolate.

Jason was wearing a bright red ski jacket that Grandma Kent had gotten him when he and Dad had gone out to Montana last week. Ever since he'd gotten the gift he'd refused to leave the house without it.

Wearing jeans and his trainers, Jason pondered the dark clouds that choked the skies of Metropolis, which looked like rain clouds. He liked the rain, but he was ready for it to start snowing. Christmas was only a few weeks away and Jason really wanted it to be all white and frozen outside. Daddy had taken him ice skating last year at Metrocenter plaza and he'd had a lot of fun, the sky all gray and snow falling down.

Dad, Daddy, Mommy...Jason was only six, but he knew that his life was pretty great. Last summer, Mommy and Daddy's friend had come home and a few months later Jason found out he had _two_ dads.

He remembered a few months back when he and Daddy had been at the park and all of the sudden everything started going really slow, like it was stuck in syrup. Daddy had gotten really sad for a little bit, but then one night he came home and was happy. Happier than before Superman.

Daddy had taken Jason up in the plane and flew him to Uncle Perry's cabin in Maine and they talked for awhile about all kinds of stuff. A little while later Clark came to the cabin in his Superman clothes. Clark and Daddy had talked for awhile and then Clark sat down with Jason and told him about Krypton. Once again Jason had asked Clark why all the grown ups at the Daily Planet didn't know that Clark could fly and Daddy and Clark had just started laughing. Clark explained that people sometimes put things out in the open so that everybody didn't think about it. Daddy called it hiding in plain sight, but Jason had pointed out that it didn't work all the time. Clark laughed and said that mainly only smart little boys who'd met him in person were the only ones who figured it out.

Clark changed into a flannel shirt and jeans and had some dinner with Jason and Daddy that day and the three had talked again how important it was that Jason never tell anyone about the **Big Secret**. Jason remembered the first time Clark and him had this conversation but he figured that Daddy needed to have it as well. Jason could see why the grown ups were so strict about it, especially since Clark had found that weird scary bald man awhile back and that man hadn't liked Superman very much which must have been why he'd kidnapped Mommy since she and Clark were friends.

When Jason had asked about if Mommy knew, Clark and Daddy had gotten quiet and said that she would know pretty soon, but that Jason should keep it a surprise.

After that Clark had been around a lot more, but not in his Superman clothes. Jason decided that it was more fun that way because he and Clark could go get ice cream and go to to the movies and no one bugged them like he saw them doing when Clark was in Superman clothes. Clark had even become the babysitter when Mommy and Daddy were working, which was fun because he would bring over dinner from all kinds of different places.

Just before Halloween, Mommy and Daddy and Clark had taken Jason out to dinner. Jason had lots of fun because Mommy and Daddy were really happy and Clark was there too, where it used to be that Mommy wouldn't come with "the guys" when they went and had fun. After dinner Mommy had gotten serious and told Jason that he was a special little boy and that she had some good news. Daddy and Clark had been really nervous but she had shushed them and explained to Jason that he had two dads. Mommy had tried to explain it all but Jason just asked if it was like how some kids at school had two dads. The grown ups had all been really happy and said that it was like that exactly, but that Jason's other dad was Clark.

After Jason had gotten done hugging his parents (all three of them) he'd asked Mommy if that's why he'd been able to stop using his inhaler and could eat burritos now. Mommy had gotten mad at his Dads and said something about "irresponsible men children" but had hugged Jason and said that, yes, that's why Jason wasn't sick anymore. Jason asked if that meant that he'd be able to fly someday and Clark had told Jason that they'd have to wait and see. Then Clark had told Jason that no matter what happened, he'd always be around to answer any questions that Jason had.

Jason drank his hot chocolate on the roof of the Daily Planet and watched as his Dad listened to the world, making sure that nobody needed help.

He hoped that all the kids who had three parents were as happy as him, but he knew that he was really lucky.

_(3/5)_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer in first chapter

_one year after the events of Superman Returns..._

Lois had told her that Jason was up on the roof with Clark Kent.

Clark Kent, the Pulitzer winning reporter was babysitting her godchild.

She'd never gotten the chance to meet him since she'd been living in Los Angeles when he started at the Planet the first time. Then he'd left for Peru or something and had been gone when she came back to Metropolis to live with Lois as the reporter had gotten bigger and bigger carrying Jason.

She'd been there for the arrival of Richard, she'd been there to watch Jason when Lois had thrown herself back at the Planet while trying to be the best mom ever.

She'd been there for the tears over the big blue idiot.

Long nights after classes at Met U had led to lots of situations her to see that Lois really missed Superman. Not just because her guardian angel was gone from the skies, but really because Lois must have loved the big dummy. Why he left, she'd never know but if she ever got to meet him, he would get a piece of her mind.

Oh sure, Superman was great, she knew that, but as far as she was concerned, he was just another cape. She'd hunted down weirdos and had done her time cataloging the various superheros who wanted any press time. She liked them, they made for good press and gods knew that she liked her career as a photo journalist a lot better when the meta's played nice for her camera.

She knew that coming back to Metropolis meant that she'd have to try and get some shots of "the Man of Steel", but she was mainly here because Lois and Richard were finally tying the knot. After she'd grilled Lois long distance about Superman's return and Lois' subsequent moods, Lois had finally said that the situation had worked out and the she'd never been happier.

As long as Jason and Lois were happy, she could try and make nice with anyone she supposed.

Marriage. Climbing the last bit of steps to the rooftop, she wondered if she'd ever meet the guy for her. She'd dated millionaire playboys and test pilots but she really wanted a man who was a bit more down to earth. He needed to be quick enough to stay up with her when she was into her fourth latte of the day, but humble enough to be the kind of guy who'd keep her grounded. She was only 25 but she felt like he was out there and she was ready to find him and keep him for the rest of her life.

She dreamt of him from time to time. She could never make out the face but she always knew it was the same man in her dreams. She would sleep and then she'd be under a faded denim sky, fields of corn stretching out endlessly in either direction. She'd move out of the sun into a barn and climb the stairs to the loft where he'd be looking out over the horizon. She'd run her hands over his firm back inside the plain white tee shirt that he was wearing and then wrap her arms around him. He smelled like hay and earth and sweet summer all at once. Which was strange to her because she'd never met any farm boys and she'd certainly never been to the middle of the country for any amount of time.

But the dream was always the same. Always safe, and warm, and loved.

That's probably why it was just a dream, since she'd never met anyone like that in real life.

The door to the roof was propped open and she could hear her god son and his babysitter laughing up on the roof. As she quietly slipped out onto the sunny rooftop she could just hear the conversation.

"Now I have it on authority that your dad took you flying just yesterday in the seaplane."

Hmmm...not exactly the voice of a wallflower that she'd been led to believe Kent was. She could hear quiet strength and a smile in the voice.

"But it's different when we go flying! C'mon Dad! Please! I promise that I won't ask for the rest of the week!"

**Dad?** _Dad!_ Oh Lois...why didn't you say anything?

"Oh the rest of the week, huh? What with today being Friday that's a pretty big offer!"

She could see as Clark swept Jason...his _son_...into a huge embrace and started tickling the little boy. Jason burst out with peals of laughter which she hadn't realized how much she'd missed until now. The two kept talking and laughing and she could see how close they were. It made sense though, Clark had left right before Lois had found out and anytime that she had ever asked about the reporter, Lois always feigned indifference. For awhile she had thought that Jason's biological father might have been Superman, based off of Lois' frustrations with the absent alien, but Clark was a much more real explanation.

And from the way that the two carried on here on the rooftop, things really had gotten much better. She was going to wring Lois out like a hot washcloth for keeping this from her.

In that stolen moment she saw Clark Kent in the May sunshine and the breath went right out of her. His tie was loosened and the top button of his shirt was undone. While he had on an adorable three piece suit he had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and the jacket hung from a light pole. His deep black hair was windswept from the spring breeze and even through his glasses, she could see that he had incredible eyes, which were currently full of love for the little boy in his arms. In that moment, she fell in love a little.

Time to make her presence known. The last time she'd seen Jason had been at his fourth birthday party where she, Lois, and Richard, had ended up showing Jason the joys of his first food fight when the birthday boy's gluten-free, vegan, chocolate cake had been the primary source of ammo. She could only hope that her favorite kid in the world still wanted to see her.

Clark was so intent on playing with his son that he hadn't even heard the footsteps on the roof. He let his guard down with Jason, feeling free to be himself, no matter what the clothes. That's one reason why he was so shocked when a voice cut into the sunshine.

"Any chance of getting a hug from my godson?"

Clark put his son down and Jason, already a happy little boy, went immediately to red alert.

"CHLOE!" the boy shouted joyously and was across the rooftop in a second.

"Chloechloechloechloe," Jason yelled happily as he locked on to the womans leg with a grip that would someday move mountains.

Clark took in the woman who had swept his son into her arms, covering the little boy with kisses. As she marveled over his growth since the last time she saw him, Clark started to straighten his tie and retrieved his jacket, slipping back into his persona. So this was Lois' cousin, Chloe Sullivan, he'd heard about her but had never seen a picture as the young woman was apparently photo phobic. When he'd asked Lois about it she'd laughed and said that all of Chloe's best work was done behind a camera, and cited a series of photos from a party which had ended anyones chances of getting "Sully" in frame.

Chloe was about the same height as Lois but that was where the similarities between cousins ended. Where Lois opted for a very stylized forties kind of wardrobe, Chloe was currently wearing a very comfy looking mix of casually professional clothing. Tailored slacks met up with an off the shoulder flimsy long sleeved top that was night sky blue. Clark could see the straps of a camisole top on her shoulders as well as the strap to a slightly battered Nikon. Her long honey brunette hair was streaked liberally with dusky blond and was up at the back, held with some long lacquered sticks while a few strands had gotten free and hung around her face. All in all a very casual, breezy, yet still gorgeous woman.

Gorgeous?

"Dad! This is Chloe! Come and say hi!" Jason had wiggled loose and realized that two of his favorite people had never met. The exuberant six year old ran to his dad and began leading Clark across the roof, and Clark tried vainly to get back into his "geek" persona, only to find that bumbling and stuttering around the pretty photojournalist wasn't hard at all.

In fact, it wasn't an act, which was why tripping over the edge of the Daily Planet globe's mounting was truly embarrassing for the suddenly shy Kryptonian.

As Clark's face became acquainted with the roof , he heard his glasses break and groaned. Perfect first impression.

"Dad!"

"Mr. Kent!"

Chloe and Jason scrambled to help the reporter back to his feet and Chloe couldn't help but be fascinated by the blush creeping across his kissable face.

Kissable?

Chloe couldn't help but giggle a bit (Giggle! When did I start doing that again?) as she dusted off the man in front of her, him stuttering as he tried to introduce himself but that died away as her eyes met his and her hands came to rest on Clark's chest, the two lost for a second.

Jason was a perceptive boy and while he couldn't figure out the more subtle aspects of what was happening on the perfect day here on the roof, he knew that his Dad and his Aunt Chloe were probably going to be friends. And that's all the little boy needed to know, as far as he was concerned.

Two weeks later, two conversations about the exact same thing were happening in two different parts of Metropolis.

Lois Lane and Chloe Sullivan were currently at the Lois and Richards house as Chloe was getting final adjustments on her dress for the ceremony.

The wedding was a week away and Lois was still trying to decide exactly what she wanted for the cake filling.

Lois was exasperated, Richard had been of absolutely zero help on the cake as he preferred "yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Maybe vanilla." She had thrown a stapler at him for that. Clark was no help either, citing that he was more of a pie man. That's why she had thrown his stapler. Chloe had just finished with the seamstress and was bringing over a glass of wine for Lois before her curiosity got the best of her.

"So what can you tell me about Clark Kent," Chloe ventured cautiously, attempting casual but failing miserably

"Smallville? Hmm, I don't know. Why?" Lois hid her grin by focusing on the wine. She was going to enjoy this.

"Lois," Chloe growled. She knew that Lois saw right through her and was about to make her life hell. "Seriously Lo, I just want to get to know more about him. How could I not? Let's go over the list or reasons why I should know about Clark Kent: award winning journalist, Richard's best man, _Jason's biological father._"

Lois winced at that last bit. That had been **quite** the conversation.

Seeing that Chloe wasn't about to back down, Lois began to spill everything about Clark Kent to the woman she thought of as closer than a sister. Well, almost everything.

Across town Richard and Clark had dropped Jason off for a play date so the boy wouldn't be cooped up at the Planet all day and decided to get a late lunch at "Ink" downtown.

Lincoln's bar had been in Metropolis for seventy years and next to Bibbo's "Ace O' Clubs", it was the place for reporters to kick back a few. After the first twenty years of dealing with news hounds, the original Lincoln had installed a bank of telephones (which years later would become optical connections and Wi-Fi) for his thirsty crowd and had started to frame articles from his award winning patrons. As the years went by and the place became renown for looking after the press, the bar was generally known as "Ink", playing on the obvious two sources.

Settling into the booth that was surrounded by ferns and Daily Planet articles (Clark remembered when the current Lincoln running the place had put up a Kent article in this booth) Richard and Clark spoke about Jason,work, and the wedding. After laughing about Lois' reaction to the "cake incident" Clark finally sucked up his courage and broached the subject that had been on his thoughts to Richard.

"So what can you tell me about Chloe Sullivan?"

Richard smiled and dug into his George Taylor Burger. This was going to be fun.

The next week was humorous for many people, all of whom were not Chloe Sullivan or Clark Kent.

Chloe had decided to work with the Planet as a freelancer, at least as long as she was in town. She had accrued a body of work in a three years that would have been impossible to ignore to any editor let alone Perry White. She had traipsed around the world, searching out metahumans and how they affected the populace. She had reams of paper and huge albums of photos cataloging the everyday people who fought against or worked with superheros. Chloe showed the cost and the reward of having superhumans in the world with a keen eye and a sharp pen.

Perry had gladly accepted Chloe's unique eye and her viewpoint that the Metahuman population should be viewed much the same as firefighters and ambulance workers. They had skills that allowed them to do a specific job and that was how the public should see them in Chloe's opinion. Chloe had found friends at the Daily Planet quickly in her short time back in Metropolis and found herself having a ball, arguing shutter speeds with Jimmy Olsen, or arguing that who Green Lantern may or may not be dating wasn't worth Cat Grant's column. Despite his inability to talk directly to "Sully"(so named for her Scully like dissection of superheros and bizarre events) Clark found himself working the periphery of many office debates at "Ink" and the "Ace O' Clubs", coming into contact with the fiery photojournalist more often than not.

Clark respected Chloe's opinions on Superhero's and more often than not found himself arguing a counterpoint just to be able to talk to her since that's the only way the two could converse. He felt (and accurately) that she knew what he was up to in the arguing for the sake of communication, but it was still funny that when anyone they were with pointed out that Clark and Chloe were almost having a conversation, the two would instantly turn into blushing adolescents, stammering and unable to look each other in the eye.

Chloe for her part used the debates as opportunities to see how Clark's mind worked. Lois would always cue her in when Clark was going against his own values in order to take an opposing viewpoint, but Chloe was always impressed at how knowledgeable Clark was to have the facts on both sides of a topic. It was those times when she could see the real Clark Kent coming out to play, despite his best efforts.

Chloe couldn't count the times she had just wanted to grab "Smallville" as Lois called him, by the tie and kiss the reporter senseless during the weeks that passed. Just as their intensity would build to a breaking point and they almost tumbled over the edge, something would happen that would cause them to shoot apart though.

The hotter the air between them, the worse the awkwardness became though. Cat Grant had started running a pool as to when Clark and Chloe would get together and who would make the first move. Clark had spilled more drinks on himself than Lois could ever remember him doing prior to Chloe's arrival, and even Richard teased Clark about the dry cleaning costs Clark was racking up. Chloe valiantly maintained a fully professional facade at all times, the exception being the few times that Chloe and Clark had been in the elevators at the Daily Planet together. Lois and Richard had howled with laughter as she told Richard how a full elevator had pressed Clark into Chloe's back and Chloe had flushed bright red and bit her lip. Lois had seen her baby cousin desperately close her eyes and count to ten over Clark's proximity.

Of course, based off of Clark's reaction, Lois knew that Superman had a weakness other than Kryptonite.

(4/5)  



	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer first chapter

_The wedding reception of Lois Lane-White and Richard White..._

Lois danced with her husband. Her _hus_-band. Hus-_band._ Hubby. Ugh, definitely not that last one. But still, the word sounded very nice all around. Life really had been strange for the last few years, but the ups and downs of this last year...well, they had made all of the pain and joy even more worthwhile. She laughed heartily when Richard said something to her about their honeymoon, and realized how much she was truly ready to be with Richard for the rest of her life.

After Clark had come clean and the subsequent conversations about her and Richard had been had, Lois had seen Richard in a new light. Clark pointed out that the things that had initially attracted her to Perry's nephew may have been a sub-conscious desire for the things that she had sought from Superman, but that Richard himself was of such quality and fiber that Lois would be an idiot to reduce Richard to a set of skills or a "type".

Once again, the big dumb alien had been right.

In the last seven months, Lois and Richard had returned to each other, a fire to their love that had been fostered by the most unlikely person of all. More than ever, Lois decided that she really did love Clark. He had become one of the best friends that she'd ever had, now or till the end of her life. That he had stepped aside and done what he had...it wasn't hard to see why Clark and Richard had become best friends. Which shouldn't have happened, she knew, but the kind of faith and trust that Clark had given to her and Richard and how Clark had gone about it, made any other kind of relationship impossible. it made her heart swell to know that she was blessed with this amazing family.

Of course, now she just needed to figure out how to get Chloe and Clark to quit being so stupid so that she could live the rest of her life happily.

The reception was over and Clark Kent remained. He had taken off his bow tie and jacket, and enjoyed the memories of the day as they played lightly across his thoughts. Lois and Richard had flown out earlier for their honeymoon (Perry had sternly told both not to work while on vacation) and Jason was spending the next week with his grandfather, retired general Sam Lane. The catering staff had left a few remaining bottles of champagne and Clark enjoyed the feel of the bubbles going down his throat, even if it would take a whole warehouse to feel anything. Normally he refused any kind of alcohol, but tonight seemed like an appropriate occasion.

The one thing that he hadn't done tonight was taken the chance to dance with Chloe. He realized that he had blown the opportunity, badly on top of that. Wasn't there supposed to be a dance between the Best Man and Maid of Honor? Clark slapped his forehead with a touch that could have calved a glacier. He remembered those times Lois had teasingly referred to him as a "big dumb alien" and he couldn't agree more right now. As he avoided trying to brood too badly Clark turned in surprise as he heard footsteps behind him.

Chloe Sullivan stood there with a CD and a smile on her face, still in her dress from the wedding.

As the maid of honor, Lois and Chloe had found a dress that had been breathtaking. A soft creamy shade of off white it darkened in color to a peach shade near the bottom edge. Fastening over Chloe's right shoulder in a toga style, the whole design accentuated how beautiful Chloe was to Clark. The smile that she was gracing Clark with was definitely not one he'd seen before, a gentle Mona Lisa kind of smile that he felt turning his insides to a mess of sunlight and terror.

Chloe moved close to Clark and ran her hand across Clark's jaw, her touch setting him on fire. They hadn't had any time together since they had met, and at this moment all of Clark's defenses were torn away like a scrap of cloth in a hurricane. For one moment Clark had this image in his mind of Chloe as she must have been in high school and he wished that he had gotten a chance to know that girl...but all of those thoughts vanished as she ran her hand through his hair. While he sat, powerless, Clark tentatively reached out and ran a gentle hand down her side, over her hips and down her leg, feeling her warmth beneath the silky soft fabric of her dress and he liked the sound of Chloe hissing inward at his touch.

Pleading to her with his eyes, stormy behind his glasses, Chloe saw his need and whispered into Clark's ear, "May I have this dance?"

Chloe led him to the dance floor, still unswept, covered with flower petals and streamers from the party. She found a the stereo and dropping the CD in she came back to Clark. He cautiously embraced her and she pulled him close staring at his face, almost positive it was the one that haunted her dreams.

Soft music filled the air, a simple guitar followed by a smoky voice that Clark had never heard and the lyrics started to fill the space between them.

_You can't know, oh no  
you can't know  
how much I think about you, no  
It's making my head spin  
Looking at you  
and you are looking at me   
and we both know what we want  
hmmm, so close to giving in _

_Feel so nice  
oh yeah you feel so nice  
wish I could spend the night  
but I can't pay the price  
oh no, no_

_But I'm flying so high  
high off the ground  
when you're around   
And I can feel your high  
rocking me inside  
it's too much to hide _

Chloe looked into Clark's beautiful face and knew that he felt like she did. Terrified of everything he was feeling but totally unable to stop his feelings and where they were taking them.

She briefly thought of what it would have been like to be around Clark in high school and dismissed it out of hand. Gods knew that who you were then were not who could become and she decided that now was the time they should have met. Moments were rare things and while she would have been afraid to seize something this powerful when she was fifteen, she wasn't that person anymore. They probably would have been friends and had some awkwardness as she would have absolutely been head over heels for him, but she felt like it would never have worked, especially if he had ever gotten a chance with Lois before now. Chloe knew that despite her bluster, Lois would have pounced on Clark if she had seen him the way Chloe did now and she was glad that Lois had found Richard, and that Clark and Lois had worked out where they were.

Losing herself in his eyes, Chloe rested her head on Clark's chest and breathed deeply, not wanting to think anymore, just to exist in this moment.

_I know, oh yes   
I know that we can't  
be together  
but, I just like to dream  
It's so strange  
the way our paths have crossed  
how we were brought together  
hmmm, it's written in the stars it seems   
Feel so nice  
oh yeah you feel so nice  
I'd love to spend the night  
but I can't pay the price  
oh no, no_

_And I'm flying so high  
high off the ground  
when you're around  
And I can feel your high  
touching me inside  
and it's too much to hide _

Clark relaxed as Chloe settled into his embrace and he found himself holding her more firmly, committing every second with her in his arms to his memory. The lyrics would trickle through into his thoughts every once in a while and he realized how true they were. He was terrified of this woman in his arms. She represented a life that he had thought was behind him and he didn't know if he was strong enough to face what his feelings meant. He had already fallen in love with Chloe over the three short weeks she'd been in Metropolis and he knew that he wouldn't be able to deal when she left town again, but part of him almost longed for that day. If she was gone, then he wouldn't need to let anyone in and then he would be safe. Safe from the pain that he'd felt when he'd come back from his journey and found that the world had moved on. Safe from the truth that he wasn't human, that he should live a life among them but never be too close.

He breathed in the sweet scent of Chloe's air and bit his lip hard, the desire and longing she created in him was a palpable force. She smelled like Jasmine and Autumn somehow, despite the June night, and she made Clark think of October days on the farm, drinking a mug of tea in his loft, watching the leaves turn...she made Clark think of a home of his own that he had never found, but was achingly close.

The part of his brain that wasn't afraid suddenly seized on a thought. Despite Jor-El's admonishing Clark that he wasn't an earthling, what did that mean? He had a son, he had a home and parents, he had a dog for Rao's sake. If earthling also meant human, then Clark realized that he was as human as he could be. And the woman in his arms, his heart swelled for her, she had come to _Clark, _not Kal-El. She saw Superman as a civil servant, not an object of adoration...if she had fallen for the **man** as opposed to the "Super"...

_Back to earth  
where did you take me to  
I know there's no such thing  
As painless love  
well it'll catch us up  
and we can never win  
But ohhh  
I feel so alive  
ohhh  
Just wanna hold you  
hold you so tight_

_And I'm flying so high  
high off the ground  
when you're around   
And I can feel your high  
touching me inside  
and it's too much to hide  
And I'm flying so high  
high off the ground  
when you're around _

The song ended and Chloe and Clark looked into each others eyes. Each could feel the other's heart racing in their chests and knew that this was it. Clark had lost moments in his personal life due to inaction but he wasn't about to let this be one of them. Chloe had worked through her life, looking through her camera for a face that she knew in her heart but hadn't seen with her eyes...she knew what she had to do.

Reaching up slowly, Chloe ran her hands through Clark's hair and touched his face, slowly she wrapped her fingers around his glasses, feeling totally locked into this deeply intimate moment. Clark never made a sound as she pulled his glasses away and she saw the face of her future looking back at her, uncluttered and open to her in it's promise.

Clark saw no shock of recognition in Chloe's amazing eyes and while he wondered what it was that she was seeing exactly, he decided he didn't care right now. All he knew is that he need to taste her, feel her lips on his.

They came together, softly, but before a single moment had passed, the sensation of each other electrified the two and the began to intensify the passion in their kiss. Chloe felt a tingle run through her body to her core as she captured Clark's lips, sucking on his lower lip before running both of her hands through his hair.

She sighed contentedly as he groaned quietly into her mouth and Clark felt the tension run out of him as she melted into his arms, Clark deciding that no matter the risk to his bruised heart, this was where Chloe should be.

Hours later, the pair of reporters had moved to Clark's apartment. Shelby had looked up sleepily at the two when they had stumbled in, scarcely able to keep their bodies apart, and the loyal dog had opted to go back to sleep and worry about getting a walk in the morning.

Chloe pulled Clark onto the couch and straddled him, their clothes an agonizing prison. She couldn't help herself as she ripped his shirt open and started caressing his incredible body. Dimly, Chloe felt as if there was something she had missed when she had pulled off Clark's glasses and it seemed as if her mind was trying to cut through the passion that currently consumed her thoughts.

Clark for his part, was totally lost at sea. His life and jobs being what they were, Clark had been with exactly two women in his life and that was the limit of his experiences with another person. Superman was a relatively non-sexual being in the eyes of the world, "Metropolis Clark" too shy to have ever been on any dates, no matter if any women had approached him, but despite his inaction, Clark Kent was a passionate soul. His dreams had always been filled with images that left him breathless and there really wasn't an easy way for a man who could hear a microbe shuffle to not hear the world around him.

Having this passionate, beautiful, oooh _very _tactile, woman working all of his senses right now and Clark couldn't stop himself from submitting to his passions. He reached up and undid Chloe's dress, it the dim light of the city night her flesh glowed in the darkness and he began to explore her body with his mouth.

Chloe felt Clark's mouth on her neck and shoulders, felt his lips moving around the edges of her lacy bra and she fervently whispered for him to never stop. Gods, she felt like she burning up, his hands and mouth causing a torrid reaction in her. But still, her damn instincts were howling for her attention, if only she could – screw it, there was no way she could think when he was doing that to ear earlobe.

Clark was hyper aware, his every thoughts focused on Chloe's hands as she puled his shirt off and caressed his shoulders. The way he was straining to have more, _more_ of her, it felt as if he'd never been touched by another soul. But finally one of the desire wracked minds between the two of the would be lovers found a purchase with it's warning and Clark realized that he couldn't do this with Chloe, not until she knew everything.

His whole life, Clark had kept those he loved at arms length so as to protect them from his world, but Clark realized that he knew these people because they already _were_ part of his world. Women like Lois and Chloe weren't exactly content to be covering county fairs and the mayoral race all the time, they wanted the action, the stories that changed the world. This put them in sticky situations, whether Superman could be there or not. That was why he loved these women, they would never back down from life.

He didn't know if she hadn't cared or just hadn't recognized his face after she had gotten his glasses off (strangely magical camouflage that they were) but he decided that she needed to see, especially since Chloe was one of the vociferous opponents of superhuman adoration, and Superman was the poster boy for people thinking too much of in Clark's opinion. He just couldn't wait until they had gone any further to tell her.

Clark decided that a subtle reveal was all he could do right now, there was absolutely no way he was putting on tights in his current state. Wrapping his arms around Chloe, (to which she smiled in their kisses and murmured appreciatively) Clark began to float up off of the couch out into the center of the room. He found himself glad that Richard had helped find a place with high ceilings and a nicely obscured balcony.

Tortuously, Clark pulled his lips away from Chloe's and caressed her face. She was flushed and her eyes had a wild look in them that made Clark want to not stop but he wouldn't forgive himself if he hurt her by omission of the truth.

All Chloe could see were Clark's eyes, and she saw that something was bothering him, a twist of fear in her stomach, she worried that maybe she had read him wrong or that she had rushed him in some way, then she pulled back a bit and looked at where they were.

Clark had moved them by the balcony doors and through the windows she could see the south side of the city. This was a pretty mean feat she decided since she hadn't felt them move and the unobstructed view of the city was through windows that were ten feet off the floor of Clark's apartment.

In a flash Chloe realized what her mind had been trying to tell her despite her best efforts.

She knew Clark's face. She had gotten at least a dozen solid action shots of it last week when she and Jimmy had scooped Superman battling the Atomic Skull a.k.a Albert Michaels, who had hit a tech firm downtown with the intent of cleaning the place out..

She could see in his eyes the fear that she would be angry, that she would hiss and spit and revile him, and her heart went from intense passion to immense compassion for this sweet, silly, man. Lois had taken great pains in the last two weeks to assure Chloe that Clark hadn't meant to leave her in a delicate condition, that he had found something out about his real parents and had been unable to ignore the trip. She and Lois had talked about Lois and Clark and where they had arrived at, how Clark was an invaluable part of the family, was an amazing father for Jason, and how Richard trusted Clark more than the younger White could say.

Chloe could see why they had worked all of these angles now, all of the pieces coming together in between heart beats. She felt the strength from the man she was wrapped around and felt how warm he was, even despite the heat of the June night, Clark Kent was a delicious warmth that filled her and completed her in the way she'd sought her whole life.

Even though these revelations had taken but seconds, they were an eternity for Clark. He could see a myriad of emotions flashing behind Chloe's eyes and he found himself holding his breath as to the outcome. Granted he could hold his breath for fortnight these days, but it didn't mean that he was breathing easy now.

Slowly a grin came across Chloe's face and she leaned in dangerously close to Clark, causing him to gasp out for air at her proximity and he heard the magic words that soothed his soul and sent his heart racing once more.

"_We'll talk about it over breakfast, handsome."_

_The first of all the tomorrows..._

The next morning Chloe felt sunlight pouring in through Clark's eastward facing bedroom window. She stretched contentedly and reached out for the man she had spent last night with but found only a white rose with a note:

"_Took Shelby for a walk and am getting breakfast as ordered. Love, Clark"_

Love. _Love._

Chloe felt her heart doing back flips in her chest at how amazing that word looked in Clark's formal handwriting. After his amazing revelation last night there hadn't been any more words (well, none that were party to a coherent thought) and she knew that anyone who was as honest as Clark Kent probably didn't bandy emotions around lightly.

Chloe wandered Clark's apartment while waiting for him to return after she had thrown on a "Smallville High Phys Ed" tee shirt and some of Clark's sweatpants(cinched to a ridiculous degree) she thrown her hair into a ponytail and tried vainly to find more clues into the man who lived here.

At one point this place must have been like a museum for what a professional urban dweller should have. It was a lot of muted greens and tans, nice woodwork in the bookshelves, a huge television. Lois had lamented to Chloe that before she and Richard had started "helping" Clark come out of his shell (which Chloe now recognized as making the reporter persona more warm, less shy) it was a virtually featureless apartment, even for a man who lived with a dog.

Now though...what a difference a year must have made. There were pictures of Jason and his parents all over the place, Jason at the park, Jason in a very cozy looking kitchen with a beautiful silver haired woman making cookies. Her godson's drawings covered the refrigerator surface and the apartment almost hummed with a vitality that she recognized as what drew her to Clark in the first place. It felt like the sun burning through the clouds, warming the world below and nourishing all.

Keys rattled in the door of the apartment and Chloe suddenly found herself attacked by a gold blur as Shelby barreled into the visitor to his home. Any shyness Chloe might have had in this first meeting with Clark post intimacy dissipated under the happy hound's onslaught and Chloe was grateful.

She felt a strong hand pluck her deftly from the floor and Chloe found herself seated neatly upon Clark Kent's palm, his grin making her weak in the knees.

"Show off," Chloe laughed and pulled Clark into a warm kiss, both of them feeling a little dizzy as their lips gently caressed the others.

After sliding onto a more conventional seat on a stool at the island in Clark's kitchen, Chloe took a moment to take in his appearance. He had on jeans combined with a dark blue flannel shirt with a white tee shirt underneath. The clothes were slightly over sized it seemed until Clark stripped away the vestiges of his city look and removed his glasses. Some where just short of the overly sold looking square frame that he had in his tights, Chloe found the non slouching, shoulders back, carefree smile, Clark to be a mix of the man she had come to love and his flying alter ego. Desire and love crashed through her in waves at the simple transformation and she saw the man, literally of her dreams, standing before her.

"I brought you bagels and a, uh, grande triple caramel latte," Clark offered up shyly.

Now she knew he was perfect. And she told him as much.

_A/N #2: So that's it kids. The basic idea behind this fic was that I wanted to do a non-Smallville Chlark relationship in the Superman Returns universe and I think that I accomplished that. I intentionally left a lot of what happens to the characters to the spaces between the parts we get to read because I thought that many of the cute moments were beyond the need to map out. "Flying High" by Jem was the song that bore the fic, simply because I could see Chloe and Clark dancing somewhere and both of them terrified of being hurt but wanting so badly to trust the other person. I may do more with my take on this universe at some point, but I have no concrete plans as of yet, you can assume however that everybody lived very happily ever after, minus a few superhero related crisis here and there. Special thanks to Miella for pointing me in a direction or two. Thanks for reading and please drop me a line with you thoughts on this!_


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